Learn Finance to Understand a Business Strategy. Master An Introduction to the Fundamentals of Value Creation

4.8

stars

822 ratings

Gautam Kaul

4,934 already enrolled

Offered By

Foundational Finance for Strategic Decision Making SpecializationUniversity of Michigan

What you will learn

Understand the sources of value of companies
Evaluate the cash flows of a project
Evaluate the risk of a project
Value a project and a strategy
To be able to understand and apply one of the two main building blocks of finance - Time Value of Money (TVM)
To evaluate alternatives
To make decisions

Skills you will gain

About this Specialization

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In this specialization, you’ll focus on the mechanics and intuition of the main building block of finance — the time value of money. You’ll learn the structure and basics through assignments and tests that are introductory in nature but with real-world applications. We developed this specialization with the express purpose of enabling you to understand and apply these foundational principles of finance to your everyday life. Understanding how to use finance for personal decisions will also help you understand and excel at making professional decisions. After the successful completion of this series, you will be equipped to make thoughtful decisions based on a framework that uses multiple advances in modern financial theory over the past several decades. The most important features of this specialization are: (a) it is an integrated set of courses with a focus on understanding both the theory and applicability of finance; and (b) it is applied in execution — everything is covered using examples. The four courses in this specialization all build on each other, use real-world examples, and include richly designed assessments/quizzes to test your knowledge and enhance your learning experience. Assessments will progressively build in complexity as you better understand the applicability of finance to complex issues.

Applied Learning Project

The entire program is constructed around real-world problems, both while learning various frameworks and concepts, and also in numerous assessments crafted to give you an opportunity to apply and learn. The fourth course serves as a capstone experience that puts everything together. This experience will enable you to understand projects and the strategic direction of a company.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online courses

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

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Flexible Schedule

Set and maintain flexible deadlines.

Beginner Level

Approximately 4 months to complete

Suggested pace of 3 hours/week

English

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Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online courses

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

Learn more about Coursera Labs

Flexible Schedule

Set and maintain flexible deadlines.

Beginner Level

Approximately 4 months to complete

Suggested pace of 3 hours/week

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

Learn more about Coursera for Business

How the Specialization Works

Take Courses

A Coursera Specialization is a series of courses that helps you master a skill. To begin, enroll in the Specialization directly, or review its courses and choose the one you'd like to start with. When you subscribe to a course that is part of a Specialization, you’re automatically subscribed to the full Specialization. It’s okay to complete just one course — you can pause your learning or end your subscription at any time. Visit your learner dashboard to track your course enrollments and your progress.

Hands-on Project

Every Specialization includes a hands-on project. You'll need to successfully finish the project(s) to complete the Specialization and earn your certificate. If the Specialization includes a separate course for the hands-on project, you'll need to finish each of the other courses before you can start it.

Earn a Certificate

When you finish every course and complete the hands-on project, you'll earn a Certificate that you can share with prospective employers and your professional network.

There are 4 Courses in this Specialization

Course1

Course 1

Introduction to Time Value of Money (TVM)

4.8

stars

841 ratings

The strength of finance is that it takes a structured approach to decision making, with one key building block underlying all decisions — understanding the value of time, or the Time Value of Money (TVM). In this course, we will develop this building block using introductory, and simple, applications. We will learn about the Time Value of Money (TVM), Simple Future Value (FV) , Simple Present Value (PV) , Future Value of Annuity, Loans, compounding, and Valuing Perpetuities. We will introduce the framework in a carefully structured and replicable way to prepare you to explore more advanced applications in the rest of the specialization. In the follow-on courses, we will expand the applications to more complex real-world decisions.

After completing this course, you will have an understanding of how the value of money changes over time. You will understand the implications of all your financial decisions, including saving for the future through different channels and borrowing for future needs. You will leave with the practical knowledge needed to make informed decisions on a wide range of financial decisions. This course is part of the four-course Foundational Finance for Strategic Decision Making Specialization.

Course2

Course 2

Advanced Concepts in Time Value of Money (TVM)

4.7

stars

63 ratings

This course builds upon the fundamental concept of Time Value of Money (TVM) using more advanced applications and questions. You will apply the TVM concept in real-life problems of financial planning and saving for college. You will also learn more about loans and apply TVM concepts to borrowing and lending. You will realize that — while the applications are seemingly more complex, but when seen and broken-up into bite-size components — the framework, principles, and tools remain the same.

After completing this course you will have an understanding of the detailed mechanics and reasoning behind any decision you make that has consequences for the future. The deeper exposure to financial transactions you will be applicable in any/all decisions. The great news is that these concepts and skills will transfer to your professional/business decisions. This course is part of the four-course Foundational Finance for Strategic Decision Making Specialization.

Course3

Course 3

Stocks and Bonds

4.6

stars

362 ratings

In this course, we will apply the central concept and applications of Time Value of Money (TVM) to explore the structure and pricing of stocks and bonds at an introductory level. In this course, you will learn about bonds, different types of bonds (Zero Coupon bonds, Government bonds). You will learn about bond pricing calculations and see their direct connection to market data on bonds. You will also learn about stocks, and their pricing and valuation. You will learn about growth and dividend stocks and how to use market data.

After completing this course, you will have an understanding of the two fundamental and pervasive ways in which savers transfer money to governments and corporations. You will be able to apply all this knowledge to personal investing decisions and, importantly, these same tools and frameworks are applicable to corporate decisions. This course is part of the four-course Foundational Finance for Strategic Decision Making Specialization.

Course4

Course 4

Advanced Understanding of Stocks and Bonds

4.7

stars

30 ratings

This final course will cover more advanced aspects of bonds and stocks that will help you make smart personal decisions and develop a keen understanding of how governments and companies borrow from us. You will better understand stocks and bonds valuation and take a deeper dive using real-world problems. For stocks, you will review what you have already learned and understand valuation. You will learn about growth, different types of growth both bad and good. You will also get an opportunity to apply these concepts in practice assignments. For bonds: you will review what you have already learned. You will learn about different sources of risk in bonds. Lastly you will get an opportunity to apply these concepts in practice assignments.

After completing this course, you will have a deeper understanding of how bonds and stocks are valued and the risks involved in both. You will be able to apply this knowledge to understand the workings of a company and how it creates value. This will enable you to invest with more confidence and also bring a special and critical lens to a company’s decisions. This course is part of the four-course Foundational Finance for Strategic Decision Making Specialization.

Instructor

Gautam Kaul

102,465 Learners

23 Courses

Offered by

University of Michigan

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the refund policy?
If you subscribed, you get a 7-day free trial during which you can cancel at no penalty. After that, we don’t give refunds, but you can cancel your subscription at any time. See our full refund policy.
Can I just enroll in a single course?
Yes! To get started, click the course card that interests you and enroll. You can enroll and complete the course to earn a shareable certificate, or you can audit it to view the course materials for free. When you subscribe to a course that is part of a Specialization, you’re automatically subscribed to the full Specialization. Visit your learner dashboard to track your progress.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.
Can I take the course for free?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free. If you cannot afford the fee, you can apply for financial aid.
Is this course really 100% online? Do I need to attend any classes in person?
This course is completely online, so there’s no need to show up to a classroom in person. You can access your lectures, readings and assignments anytime and anywhere via the web or your mobile device.
How long does it take to complete the Specialization?
Approximately 16 - 20 weeks based on 3-5 hours of work per week
What background knowledge is necessary?
Exposure to algebra and a comfort level with numbers
Do I need to take the courses in a specific order?
If you do not have an exposure to finance, you will get the most out of the specialization if you take them in the order they are presented
Will I earn university credit for completing the Specialization?
You will qualify for verified certificates for each course, and the specialization, if you meet the requirements but, at this time, you will not receive university credit.
What will I be able to do upon completing the Specialization?
You will be able to value projects and companies, a key step to making smart decisions.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.

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Foundational Finance for Strategic Decision Making Specialization

What you will learn

Skills you will gain

About this Specialization

Applied Learning Project